In hospitals and other medical facilities, it is often necessary to administer medication to a patient by infusing the medication into the patient through a catheter that is connected to the circulatory system of the patient, for example by infusion into a blood vessel. A common infusion technique involves introducing into the patient a solution containing a medication and an infusion liquid, which serves as a diluent for the medication. In some instances, the medication can be supplied directly to the patient without an infusion liquid. An infusion can involve dispensing the fluid to the subject by gravity or actively pumping the fluid into the subject using a device known as an infusion pump.
Unfortunately, current systems for administering drugs by way of infusion suffer from several disadvantages. For example, the mechanical components of infusion pumps are prone to wear, which can make it difficult to accurately control the volumetric amount of fluid supplied to the subject.
Devices and methods are disclosed herein for improving the administration of infused drugs, by using inkjet-type droplet dispensers that are conventionally used for dispensing ink in a printing mechanism.